AUSTRIAN OPEN: AS A European Tour event the €1 million Austrian Open struggles to capture the imagination when scheduled among other higher profile tournaments, so it will come as something of a disappointment to organisers when two of the top billings in Jose Maria Olazabal and Nick Dougherty both missed the halfway cut in Vienna.
Olazabal crashed out at Fontana Golf Club after a second round 72 left the two-time Masters champion level par and two shots outside the cut. The Spaniard’s undoing came at the 17th when he found the water hazard and ran up a double bogey six.
Dougherty didn’t fare any better after a second consecutive 71 also left the Englishman on level par.
Gary Murphy was safely into the weekend after a 67 left the Kilkenny golfer just outside the top 10 on seven-under.
Damien McGrane will also be around for the weekend after he too shot 67 to get to four-under. However Michael Hoey’s 69 for a one-under aggregate left the Belfast pro one-shot shy.
At the business end, England’s Benn Barham is fighting to secure his playing privileges on the main drag in these crucial latter stages of the season. He has made a good fist of things so far and yesterday’s 66, for a 13-under–par 129 aggregate, gave him a two-shot lead over Australian Richard Green, who matched the leader’s score.
